


Kaminari to Mizu

by darkraasyy



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, sasuhina - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-04
Updated: 2018-06-11
Packaged: 2019-05-18 03:58:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14845274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkraasyy/pseuds/darkraasyy
Summary: Refusing Naruto's offer to return to the village after the war, Uchiha Sasuke became a traveler and he had been travelling for two long years seeking for a new purpose in life. Life was relatively peaceful, until he bumped into one Hyuuga Hinata, clad in only a torn kimono and she was bleeding badly. .





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I originally published this story back in 2015 on fanfiction. I deleted my fanfiction account because of life so I have never gone around completing this story, but I thought maybe it is time to restart and give this fanfiction a proper end.

Dark clouds slowly took control over the clear sky and the bright round moon that had been shining proudly now disappeared, hidden in the darkness of the sky as the clouds reigned. The rain began to fall, drop by drop, and the villagers ran seeking shelter to escape the upcoming raging storm. For the first time in years, rain was finally appearing again in Amegakure, the Hidden Village of The Rain, where it had fallen to darkness in the hands of a feudal lord ever since the death of their god, Pein, and their Lady Angel, Konan.

In the middle of the village, a huge mansion now stood extravagantly, its elegance envied by many villagers, but what was happening inside, nobody knew. A beautiful woman stood quietly in one of the room, her small and lush lips bleeding as she bit it hard to muffle her soft cries. Her arms were bruised and her thin purple kimono did little to help cover the wounds on her delicate neck. Her midnight blue hair was a mess, revealing the curse seal on her forehead and she quickly evened out her fringe to cover it up. Her pale white eyes which used to glisten beautifully were now empty and lifeless as she stared at the metal door. Her room was like a prison to her, no windows, nothing to show her the outside world, but she could hear it, the sound of raindrops and the sound of footsteps coming nearer and nearer towards her. Her legs moved and her body shifted as she raised her hands ready to strike.

It had been years and she had fought. She had always fought. What went wrong, she had no idea. It was supposed to be the next stage of her life, of any women's life, but she didn't agree to this. Yet again, she was a failure, unable to fulfill a simple arrangement the elders had set for her, but she couldn't take it. The pain, both physically and emotionally, she had enough. She was Hyuuga Hinata, a shinobi and so she would fight. She would fight for her rights.

The footsteps gradually got louder and she switched into her position. Her eyes were fixed on the door and the moment it opened, Hinata made her move. She jumped and she struck the wretched man who entered, locking all of his chakra points so he couldn't activate it.

"You insolent woman!" The man yelled as Hinata made her escape. "Guards!"

Hinata paid no heed to the men chasing her as she searched for an exit. Her only focus was just to escape from here. With her Byakugan activated, she rushed towards the nearest exit, evading the kunai's flying towards her. She gritted her teeth in pain when one kunai stabbed her right arm, but Hinata ignored it. A guard caught up to her, slashing her in the process, but she fought back. She then ran and ran, but the guards were gaining on her. She needed to get outside. Knowing that she would be outnumbered, Hinata jumped out of the window, shattering the glass into pieces.

"Catch her!"

She ran throughout town as fast as her legs could carry. It was dark and most of the villagers were inside, too afraid to go out. However, there were still some lingering outside in the rain, watching as she ran, observing as the guards continued to chase her. She slipped and fell and she heard the footsteps of some villagers coming to her and Hinata could only hope that they would allow her to escape freely and not hand her over to the guards. She looked up and her pleading eyes met their empty ones.

"Run. Quickly, before it's too late!" 

Hinata eyed them thankfully. She quickly stood up and continued running. She increased her speed, but the guards continued to chase after her. She turned and turned, but wherever she went, they would be there. She changed her direction again and smiled when she saw the gates. She knew once she went beyond the gates, she could enter the forest and ran past the border where it would then be harder for them to track her. However, her happiness was short-lived and she grimaced when she saw the guards near the gates. Hinata stopped knowing there was no way she could escape without a fight. The three guards at the gates took a step forward and surrounded her. Hinata didn't run. She stayed on.

"Go back, Lady Hinata. You don't want to create any trouble do you?"

"I refuse to go back to that wretched place."

"Then we'll use force, Lady Hinata." The guards warned.

Hinata didn't move. She didn't run. She just stood still and waited for the guards to attack. There was a reason why she chose this day. She could try to escape anytime, but tonight was special, because tonight, the rain was here. The rain would help her. Water was her element. The rain would protect her. Without further ado, she got into her stance. As the guards struck, Hinata closed her eyes and she envisioned the raindrops. She focused her chakra and absorbed the rain. Controlling the flow of the water with her gentle fists, Hinata pushed it towards the guards, sending them flying to the walls.

Wasting no time, she dashed out of the gates. Never once did she look behind. She was finally out, that was all that matter. When the forest was within her line of sight, hope crept into her heart and she increased her speed. This was it. She could finally escape. She had no destination in mind, but she couldn't care less. She could finally escape, from this wretched place, from this pain and from this nightmare.

She entered the forest, and she knew they were still chasing her, but as she got in deeper and deeper, their presence gradually faded. However, Hinata took no chances. Even though her hand was bleeding profusely and she knew she should stop to heal it, she could not risk it. She had no desires to go back there again, not anymore, not after what she had been through. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes at some of the painful memories, but she held it back and continued running.

The thunder roared angrily and mercilessly as she leaped from trees to trees. She held back a scream when another struck again, but again she didn't stop. Despite now drenched and shivering in the cold, Hinata kept on going. She had to be brave because now, she had no one. She was alone, but no matter what she vowed to survive. She won't let herself fall. She won't let them catch her.

Hyuuga Hinata would keep on running as far as she could because she never ever would want to return to that place anymore.

* * *

 

To him, life no longer had a meaning to it. There was no reason to smile, nor was there a reason to kill. There were only bitter memories which continued to haunt him repeatedly. Uchiha Sasuke wondered why he was still alive when he no longer had the will to live. Yet, even when life now meant nothing, he couldn't end his own life. He never dared. Perhaps he was afraid, fearful to experience the pain of death when he had killed many.

Or perhaps deep down, his heart desired life, and even if life couldn't offer him anything, that one day, he will find something, anything, to live for.

It had been two years since the war ended and Sasuke now was a lone traveler. As much as he tried to start anew, memories of the war were still fresh. He remembered how deeply he wanted to destroy his own village. He could still remember fighting Kabuto alongside his dead brother, brought back to life by a forbidden jutsu and even now, he still remembered Itachi's final words to him before the man departed from the world of the living forever, the words that continued to play in his mind every single day till now.

Perhaps it was because of Itachi that he ended up fighting alongside Naruto instead of against him. Maybe it was because he remembered his brother that he decided to help the Allied Five Nations to stop Madara and Tobi's plans. It was because of his brother's love that Sasuke chose to spare the village instead of destroying it. 

However, things didn't change much for him. He was still angry, and he still hated the village his brother adored. Till now, he couldn't bear to lay foot into the village. Granted, he had some good memories there with his former team that he couldn't deny, but bad had overshadowed the good. No matter how he tried to forget, the village still reminded him of his clan's massacre, of all the collusion behind it, but most of all, of Itachi's pain. Sasuke still could not forgive.

Hence here he was, travelling aimlessly for about two years now. As he had helped during the war, the Five Nations had agreed to pardon him— thanks to Naruto's persuasion who was now the Hokage after Tsunade stepped down. Naruto fought for his defense, and even though he did not condone Sasuke's actions, Naruto argued he at least deserved justice for what had happened to his clan. Since he had also helped end the war, the least he deserved was to be at peace. The Allied Nations were reluctant to let him go unpunished, but with Naruto's constant persuasion and when the Kazekage finally backed him up, they agreed to let the Uchiha go and he was free to reside wherever he wanted, as long as he remained well-behaved.

Of course after his trial, Naruto had beaten him up, yelling at him for making his life miserable ever since he left. Sasuke knew he had caused him pain, so he allowed the blond to inflict pain on him, but it was not for long before Naruto cried and laughed at the same time, and told him how he was glad to finally have his friend back.

Naruto tried to persuade him to stay in Konoha, He promised that he wouldn't have to suffer anymore, that he could start anew, but Sasuke declined. Wounds would never heal. He knew till the day he died, he would never forget about Konoha's part in the annihilation of his clan and he could never forget that night where everyone died in front of his own eyes.

While he was thankful of Naruto's offer, Sasuke wanted to start afresh and in order to do that, he must first stay away from the source of his pain— which is the village. Hence, he became a traveler. He traveled from rural villagers to the urban ones, from open lands to deserted ones, and he continued on travelling hoping that one day, he could find his peace.

It had been positive so far. There w no one to annoy him or slow him down and he didn't need to socialize, unless necessary. Life had been relatively peaceful.

"100,000 yen." The innkeeper told him.

Except when he encountered unwanted situations like this.

Sasuke stared in disbelief at the pure extortion he was facing. 100,000 yen for one small room? It was impossible. This woman was toying with him.

"You are kidding," the Uchiha grimaced.

"I'm not. It's the normal rates here," she winked seductively, which only irked the Uchiha further, "of course you can just spend a night with me in my room and that would definitely be free. So what do you think, handsome young man?"

Sasuke frowned at the woman in disgust. "No thank you."

Ignoring the flirtatious look the woman was giving him, Sasuke stomped out of the inn. It seemed that the Uchiha's curse of attracting ladies, be it at what age, was still prevalent and Sasuke had to brace himself to deal with female stalkers and flirtatious innkeepers. Such unwanted actions made him realise that spending the night in the forest would bring him more happiness than  tackling unwanted situation in town. 

And so he did.  Wasting no time, Sasuke headed towards the riverbank in the forest — the perfect spot to start a camp. Starting a fire, he then sat down and allowed the warmth of the flames to reach him, staring at the clear skies above as his thoughts wandered. 

He thought about Naruto and wondered how he was doing right now as a Hokage. He thought about Sakura and wondered if the medic had finally come to term with her feelings. He thought about Kakashi-sensei where he believed that he was just somewhere reading his perverted book. He also thought about Team Hebi which had split up ever since the war ended. He wondered if Suigetsu was still annoying, if Juugo could finally control the monster inside him and whether Karin had found someone new to admire. He suddenly recalled the moments where he had traveled with others and Sasuke suddenly felt alone.

He had to admit, travelling by himself could be lonely.  Maybe it could be nice to have a companion at times— companions that wouldn't annoy him though. A desirable companion to him would just be someone who was as quiet, someone who could emit a calm and comforting presence, someone such as ...

All of a sudden, Sasuke heard a rustling noise. It was soft, but he heard it. Someone else was here. Alert, Sasuke whipped out a kunai and stared at the direction the noise had came from. As the rustlings got louder, Sasuke prepared himself to attack, but when he finally saw the approaching figure, he paused.

A woman with long midnight blue hair, clad in only a torn purple kimono stood before him. Her entire body was shaking, her skin was pale, almost lifeless, and her breathing was uneven. Whether she was panting or struggling to breathe, he could not tell. However, what he found confusing was that she looked strangely familiar. . .

He knew this person. He had seen her somewhere before and it was only when her confused white eyes met his dark ones that he realized who she was.

_"Hyuuga."_

She was a Hyuuga. He vaguely remembered her from the academy, but he just couldn't recall her name.

She took a step forward and it was only then did Sasuke realized that she was badly injured. Her legs were swollen, her small neck was covered with bruises and she was bleeding badly. Their eyes met again and as if realizing who he was, she wobbled weakly to him, staring deep into him with her pleading eyes.

"What the— " Sasuke grimaced when she suddenly clung to it as if it was her only source of life.

"D-Don't send me back there, p-please. . ."

The barely inaudible plea were the only words Sasuke heard before the woman closed her eyes and fainted in his arms


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't know rewriting a chapter can take up so much time. *_*
> 
> I am also humbled to receive your comments. I didn't know how much some of you were actually waiting for this story to be reposted again. 
> 
> I will try my best to give this story the proper ending it deserves ... after some rewriting.

Morning rays shine into the warm village of Konoha as a new day approaches. Children gleefully ran towards the academy, their laughter resonating throughout, symbolising the peace that has been achieved ever since the war ended. As villagers hustled about into their daily lives, the enigmatic blond watches with pride from the Hokage Tower, a serene smile etched on his face.

Never once had Naruto expected that he would stand in this position of a Hokage at the young age of twenty. It felt so surreal even though this had been his ambition from young. He was aware however that he did not get into this position on his own. Without the support of his friends and the villagers, he would not be standing here as the leader. All the experiences he had gone through with everyone -- Sasuke's betrayal, the deaths of those he cared about, and finally the war, had gained him maturity and wisdom, that enabled him to gain the trust and acceptance from the people to lead Konoha despite his young age.

He chuckled as his thoughts wandered to Sasuke. He could not believe how hard he fought to defend his friend during the trial. It was a difficult task due to the atrocities the last Uchiha had committed, however with the backing of Gaara the Kazekage, Naruto pulled through with a great defence. Together, they managed to appeal to the Allied Nations for leniency, in terms of Sasuke's punishment, with the argument of past atrocities committed towards the Uchiha clan. The Allied Nations agreed, albeit reluctantly, and the Uchiha was freed from punishment, under the condition that he would not cause any problems, or no more chances would be given. 

While the Uchiha remained impassive about the judgement, Naruto was beyond relief. He recalled beating Sasuke up right after the trial, though the Uchiha made no attempt to fight back. At that moment, Naruto was simply angry, but beyond that, he was glad that the friend he had been trying to save was finally back.

Except, Sasuke had refused to stay.  

Naruto smiled sadly as he remembered the day like it was yesterday when Sasuke told him he was leaving, again. 

.

.

_"No way!" the blond shouted in denial._

_"Naruto, it's my life. I can choose to do whatever I want ... and I want to leave," the Uchiha uttered with a tone of indifference._

_"But you just came back!"_

_"I didn't want to come back," Sasuke spat, "the only reason I am here is for the trial."_

_Naruto glared at his friend in his disbelief, but he was not going to let this go without an argument. "But-"_

_"There is nothing left for me here, Naruto."_

_A switch in Naruto snapped. "Nothing?! Sakura and I waited for you all these years and you said there is nothing?! We are here, moron. We'll be here ... for you!"_

_Silence surrounded the duo and Naruto thought he saw a glimpse of hesitation in his friend's eyes, although just for a moment, before it turned cold and distant once more._

_"You won't understand. I still hate this village."_

_"Sasuke--"_

_"My clan, the massacre, Itachi ... Everything that has happened in this very village - "_

_"Where will you be going?" Naruto cut him off, not being able to bear seeing the pain in Sasuke's eyes as he recalled the past._

_"I don't know."_

_"You can't just be wandering around aimlessly."_

_"_ _Maybe that's the purpose. Without a destination, maybe I can find it again."_

_It was at that moment Naruto realised how broken the Uchiha really was, more than he wanted to admit._

_"What are looking for, Sasuke?"_

_Naruto's eyes softened and his heart ached as Sasuke answered him with melancholy, his eyes darted towards the sky, lost and confused._

_"Peace."_

_._

_._

Of course, Naruto could not deny his friend. The last Uchiha wanted to leave, and if travelling aimlessly would help him find the peace he was seeking for, Naruto knew he had no right to obstruct. And so, on this very day two years ago, Naruto bid farewell to his friend. W hile he hoped Sasuke had found his answers over these years, it irked him that Sasuke completely disappeared off radar ever since. No forms of communications were made, be it surprise visits or even letters, and Naruto wondered if the last Uchiha was still even alive.

Deep down Naruto knew he still was, but it would ease his heart if there was some form of indication.

With a sigh, Naruto started on his paperwork, knowing that thinking about his wandering friend would not help reduce his workload. He was about to get started when his door suddenly barged open and a short-haired lean male entered with the signature smile on his face.

"Sai! Don't you knock anymore?!" The young Hokage said, flabbergasted.

I apologised," Sai grinned, "I was under the impression that you are not busy enough to be disturbed."

Naruto opened his mouth to argue that he was indeed busy doing work, but looking at the incomplete piles of paperwork on his desk, it would not take an idiot to guess that he had not been completing his tasks. Knowing that there was no way he could win an argument against Sai, Naruto pouted his mouth childishly before grinning widely.

"So what's up?"

Sai held back a chuckle as his expression turned grim. Ever since Naruto became the Hokage, he had served as his assistant. Now freed of Danzo's control, Sai believe he could start his life anew by assisting his friend with his official duties, to support him in all matters, and to send to deliver him all possible messages, even if it seemed bleak, such as now.

"The messenger hawk received a letter," Sai stated, "From Amegakure."

"Heh? What does that creepy leader from the Hidden Rain wants from me?"

"Perhaps you should read it," Sai murmured, handing over the letter to him, "you don't seem fond of him."

"No one is fond of him, even you," Naruto rambled as he read he letter, "All of our friends despise him ever since --"

The pause was rather abrupt and Sai observed as Naruto's expression changed from annoyed to a mixture of anger and concern. It was not difficult to figure out why.

"Naruto?"

The Hokage stood up immediately, the letter now crushed in his hands and Sai could sense the sudden change in his aura. "Reschedule all my meetings today."

"Very well," Sai assured him, "Where are you heading to?"

Sai could detect the bitterness in Naruto's tone as he uttered those words.

"The Hyuuga Compound."

 

* * *

Sasuke wondered how he had gotten himself in this situation as he held the unconscious Hyuuga in his arms. It had all happened so fast. One moment, she had appeared out of nowhere looking disheveled, then, she was holding on to him for dear life, and the next thing he knew, she had collapsed right in his arms.

An inner conflict built up within him as he pondered as to whether he should help her or leave her be. She looked to be in dire state and judging from the amount of blood coming out from her arms, Sasuke knew she would most likely die from blood loss if he was to leave her be. He was also aware that time was of the essence. The time spent feeling conflicted will determine whether he would save a life, or have more blood in his hands. 

Sasuke decided to screw his conflicting thoughts and just follow his gut feelings.

And his gut was telling him to save her.

Looking at her pale complexion, Sasuke checked for a pulse. It was weak, which meant time was running out. Her body was also getting colder. Sasuke immediately placed her near the fireplace and quickly rummaged his backpack for the essential medical supplies. Rational thinking told him that he should stop the blood gushing out of her arm.

He began treating her right am, rolling the sleeve of her kimono which was now coated with blood. He examined the wound, shocked at how deep it was. Inspecting the huge gash, he could tell that she was stabbed a number of times. Part of him wondered what had happened to her. The last thing he recalled about the Hyuuga was that she was the heiress of the clan, so why was she in such a state?

_'It's none of my business'_ , Sasuke thought as he continued treating her wounds.

The Hyuuga stirred and Sasuke paused his treatment, not wanting to startle her if she regained consciousness. The last thing he wanted was to have a panicked woman near him. He inwardly sighed in relief when her eyes remained closed, and resumed his treatment on her wound, only to realise that her hands were even colder than before. Quickly tightening up the bandage, Sasuke checked her pulse again and frowned.

Her pulse was even weaker than before. Even if he had temporarily stopped the bleeding, she probably wouldn't make it without proper treatment. His rational thought knew bringing her to the healer at the nearest village would be the best move.

And again, his gut was telling him to quickly move. 

Packing up his belongings quickly and putting off the fire, he carried the unconscious woman and placed her on his back. Ignoring how her blood had now smeared all over his clothes, Uchiha Sasuke dashed towards the nearest village.

 

* * *

Sasuke wondered if the sight of him carrying an unconscious woman was a sight to behold. The moment he stepped into the nearest village, the same village he thought he could spend the night at, he was greeted by curious yet frightened stares. He was not new here, having been here a number of times to stock up on supplies, though most of the times he kept to himself, enough for the townsmen to assume that he despised any form of human interaction.

Which was why perhaps seeing him carrying an unconscious woman was a surprising sight, considering his reputation.

The stares were not bugging him, however. It was the whispers. 

_'What did he do?'_

_'That poor woman.'_

_'I hope he gets out of here soon.'_

The Uchiha's ears were unfortunately sharp. As much as Sasuke didn't care what others thought of him, a part of him felt affected. He was trying to save a life. Yet to others, it seemed that he had taken one, like the monster they perceived he was.

_Or maybe I still am._

Ignoring the whispers, Sasuke stopped the nearest passer-by to focus on the task at hand. The petite young girl flinched at his command.

"Where's the nearest healer?"

"T-The healer is away today!" the young girl answered timidly.

Sasuke cursed his luck. Mumbling a thanks, he walked away pondering his next move. Since the healer was out of town, the only viable option was to give the Hyuuga a proper place to rest. Maybe she would heal on her own and he could always request the innkeeper to check on her instead. Wasting no time, he made his way to the inn, hoping he would not encounter the same flirtatious innkeeper. 

Except his luck today was _exceptionally_ bad. 

"How can I help you again, handsome young man?" the innkeeper winked, but her expression changed when she saw the woman he was carrying.

"I need a room." Sasuke stated.

"Sorry hun, we are fully booked tonight."

"Seriously? I just came by two hours ago."

"The rain brought travellers in. Rooms are all occupied, hun."

"Look," Sasuke heaved a sigh, motioning to the Hyuuga on his back, "this woman is injured. She needs a proper place to rest. I'd be grateful if you can just provide her a space"

He was _really_ trying his best to be polite.

"Hmmmm," the innkeeper stared at the unconscious woman before grinning at him suggestively, "I can give you a room, if you give me some fun."

Well, to hell with politeness. Now he was angry. 

"Screw you." He growled with such malice that the innkeeper actually flinched.

He stomped out to calm down, not wanting to spend another second at the inn. He also realised that he also back to square one. There was no healer, no room to stay at unless he chose to sleep with the annoying innkeeper, and he wondered why he was even doing this. It was not like he was going to gain anything out of it. The Hyuuga wouldn't probably know that it was him who helped her.

He felt the Hyuuga stirred and he tilted his face to look at her. Her expression was tensed, her breathing more ragged than before, and the gash on her arm was opening up again. Her face was also paler and her skin was getting colder.

Sasuke grimaced.

She looked so fragile ... and pathetic.

_'I should have just left her in the forest.'_

_"_ Do you need a place to stay?" a frail voice snapped him out of his thought

Sasuke turned around and saw an old woman looking right at him. She was hunched over, holding on to a wooden stick for support. Her old age was evident from her wrinkled skin and her grey hair tied in a messy bun. However, what intrigued Sasuke were her eyes; it was clear white. It made him wonder if she was blind, but it felt like she looking right through him as though seeing his very soul ...

The old woman gave her a thin smile before her white eyes darted to the woman he was carrying.

"She doesn't look so good," she frowned.

"You can see?" Sasuke found himself asking.

"White eyes don't mean blindness, young man. _You_ should know that," she smiled wryly motioning him to follow her, "Come with me. I used to be a healer. I can examine her."

Sasuke watched the old lady warily as she led the way, but he did not move.

The old woman faced him again, her thin smile still on her features. "You should learn to trust others more often, young man. I won't hit on you. I am too old for that. Besides, that woman needs help."

Sasuke gave her a confused look, but decided to follow her anyway. It wasn't like he had any other choices. The Hyuuga needed treatment, and if this old woman could provide it, he might as well just hand her over to her before leaving.

Hence, Sasuke followed the old woman as she led the way towards her small cottage. They walked past a deserted alley, and he was curious as to why this old lady was staying so far away from the rest of the town. The journey to the cottage was long. After a twenty minutes' walk from the town, he finally saw the small cottage, surrounded by trees and bamboo sticks.

"Put her on the mattress." The old lady told him the moment they entered the small house before she disappeared into what he assumed was the kitchen.

He did what he was told and placed the Hyuuga onto the mattress that was prepared. Sasuke observed at her one more time. She seemed calmer now, still pale, but not as tensed as before. Realizing that he had unconsciously stared at her for ten whole minutes, Sasuke then turned to leave.

"You're leaving?" The old woman's voice stopped him.

"Hn."

"It's not nice to leave your girlfriend here alone."

"She's not my girlfriend," Sasuke answered, annoyed, "I don't know her."

Well, he did, but not well enough. After all, he couldn't even remember her name.

"Ah," the old woman smiled as she checked on the wounds. "So you help a stranger in need. What's your name, young man?"

Sasuke sighed in frustration. "Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke."

The old woman chuckled. "A Hyuuga and an Uchiha. This is interesting."

Sasuke stared at the old woman suspiciously. He didn't remember her seeing the Hyuuga's eyes. She had been unconscious all day long, which meant she had yet to open her eyes, so how did this old woman know . . .?

"How do you know she's a Hyuuga?" Sasuke found himself asking even though part of him told him he should just leave, but he couldn't help it.

The old woman was suspicious . . . and strange.

The old lady said nothing and just smiled as green light coated her palms. She hovered them above the Hyuuga's wound. 

"Do you believe in fate?" she asked.

"What?" Sasuke raised his brows.

The old woman chuckled. "You should stay, Uchiha. I'll brew some soup. It's rare for me to have a visitor, so at least stay for the night. You don't have anywhere to go, do you? There are no rooms in town, that innkeeper will not leave you alone, and sleeping in the forest isn't very comfortable either."

Sasuke stared at the old lady, completely astounded. He was now convinced that she was both strange and suspicious. After all, how did she know everything?

"You won't deny an old lady's request, will you?" She smiled wryly at him.

Hesitantly, Sasuke shook his head. Part of him remembered his mother's teachings. His mum had constantly reminded him when he was little that it was rude to deny the elders. Moreover, the old lady was right when she said he really didn't have anywhere to go. Sleeping here would definitely be better than in some inns run by perverted females and in the forest where he has to keep a constant lookout for thieves.

Also, surprisingly, a part of him was a little wary of leaving the Hyuuga with a suspicious stranger. He should observe a while longer until he could ascertain that this old woman could be trusted.

"I'll stay a while," Sasuke told her.

The old woman smiled. "I'll get some extra blankets. Watch over her."

Sasuke said nothing and stared at the Hyuuga. She was still pale, but she no longer looked lifeless. The gash had stopped bleeding as well. It seemed that old woman had indeed healed her. With a sigh, Sasuke sat down somewhere around her, not too near, but not too far either. The old woman returned with some blankets, and then she left him again before returning with a bowl of soup.

". . . Thanks." Sasuke muttered awkwardly and the old lady just nodded in acknowledgement before disappearing once again.

Sasuke didn't see her after that and he wondered if the old lady had left the house. He grimaced at the old woman leaving him alone to watch over the Hyuuga, and he wondered why he even bothered doing it. He could leave right now. No one would know, but it was already late and setting a camp outside at this hour would just be troublesome. He was also feeling worn out since he had spent the entire evening carrying the Hyuuga around. She wasn't heavy, but it was still tiring. As exhaustion took over him, Sasuke closed his eyes fell asleep.

He didn't know how long he slept, or what time it was, but when he woke up to a sound of mumblings, it was very dark. He groaned and rubbed his eyes, wondering who was awake at such hour. Standing up to check where the voices came from, he realized that no one else was around, because the voice was coming from the Hyuuga.

She was stirring in her sleep, turning around continuously even though her eyes were still tightly shut.

It occurred to him that she was having a nightmare.

"Stay away, please . . ." she pleaded in her sleep. She repeated those words again and again, her weak voice sounding so . . . _frightened_.

Against his better judgment, Sasuke approached her to see if she was really all right.

He didn't expect though for her eyes to suddenly flutter open and for the first time in years, their eyes met; her fearful iris eyes staring deep into his startled obsidian ones.


End file.
